Chapter 20
Wes
“Hey, Wes!” one of my crew shouted. “Visitor out front!”
I looked up and grabbed my towel to mop the sweat from my forehead. “Who is it?” I asked.
The kid, a local hire I didn’t know too well, shrugged his shoulders.
Without knowing who it was, I had to throw my shirt back on, wet with sweat though it was, and jogged around to the front of the building but stopped short when I saw Olivia, Livvie’s grandmother.
“Oh, hello,” I said uncertainly. “What can I do for you?” I hadn’t seen her since that night in Anthony’s living room, and I didn’t think Livvie had spoken to her, either.
“I need to talk to you,” Olivia said.
“Come in, come in.” We had the registration area together enough that we’d been using it as an office of sorts. I pulled out a chair for her to sit down before settling across from her.
“Livvie can’t remember her past,” she said bluntly.
“Oh,” I sat back and tried to figure out what to say. She just jumped right in there. “What?”
“It could open up a part of her magic that isn’t good.” She sighed and dry washed her hands.
“What are you talking about?”
“All witches have potential for good or evil and certain events in a witch’s life really sway their magic. The night Livvie’s parents and the coven were slaughtered was horrific and one an eight-year-old shouldn’t have had to witness.”
“I thought she missed most of it.” The way Olivia had talked about it at Anthony’s, she’d gotten Livvie out of the house before it was too bad.
Olivia shook her head. “She witnessed far more than I ever would’ve wanted before I got her out. Wes, if she knows, she’ll go dark.”
Leaning over, she pulled a small bag out of her purse on the floor. “This is a tea I made. It keeps her memories suppressed. It’s also good for general health and well-being, but the main purpose is to keep those horrible things at bay. For her own sake, she can’t remember.”
I stared at the older woman, who my mate loved so much, speechless. “I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do,” I whispered.
She sniffed but put the bag of tea in my hand. “Think about it. And think hard. Remember what I’ve said. Sometimes the trauma is too much and the most merciful thing we can do is help her forget.”
I nodded and watched her walk away, too shocked to process everything fully.
After tucking the herbs into my truck, I went back to work with Olivia’s words weighing heavily on my mind.
By the time I got to the cottage that night, I was still totally conflicted.
It wasn’t right to keep Liv’s memories from her, but what if her grandmother was right?
What if it would cause her to have more than she could handle?
The sounds of the shower coming from her bedroom told me where she was, and I started boiling water as I stared at the tea leaves, trying to still decide if I should give it to Livvie or not.
In the end, I made it. She’d gone this long without knowing, she could go a little longer while I tried to decide how best to handle it. If I just gave her the choice whether or not to drink the tea, what would she choose?
After her shower, I unpacked the food I’d brought from the restaurant. “Hey.” I smiled as she exited the bedroom.
“Hi,” she replied warmly. “How was your day?”
“Good.” I nodded toward the table and the tea. “I made tea. It’s a blend of your grandmother’s.”
“Oh, yum.” She curled her legs under her in the kitchen chair and picked up the little mug. As she lifted it to her lips, panic blossomed through me. I couldn’t lie to her like this. “Stop!” I yelled.
Tea sloshed over her fingers as she jerked from my loud voice. “What?”
“You can’t drink that.” Rushing across the kitchen, I took the mug and poured it down the sink.
“Why? Were you about to poison me?” She chuckled and looked at me like I’d grown another head.
“No, but your grandmother came to see me today. She said if you get your memories back, you’ll go dark. And this tea is what keeps you from remembering.”
She stared at me for several long seconds before responding. “And you were going to give it to me?” Livvie sounded so hurt and lost, it nearly broke my heart.
I dropped to my knees beside her. “I’m so sorry. Olivia was so convincing that it was the best thing for you.”
“Give me the tea.”
I hopped up and grabbed the pot, pouring another cup. Was she going to drink it?
After I handed it to her, she took the tiniest sip. “This is the same tea she’s been giving me all my life. The one that she made for me after I had that fever last month. I didn’t suspect in the least that it was magic. Just herbs and stuff that helped me get over a cold.”
She scoffed and pushed the cup away. “I can’t believe you’d even consider going along with this.”
Misery washed through me. “I was worried about you going dark, but, Livvie, being honest with you and giving you the chance to make these decisions for yourself were more important.”
She nodded and crossed her arms. “I can understand the need to protect someone you care about. But, Wes, I’m not a child who needs to be handled. How do you expect me to reach my full potential if you suppress me?”
My heart thumped in pain as she sat there, unwilling to look at me. I couldn’t think of words to say to make my almost-mistake better.
“I’ve felt coddled all my life. Now that I understand why, I won’t stand for it. The truth is out, and I’m done being shielded.”
“Where are you going?” I asked as she jumped to her feet.
“I need to clear my head. You might need some space as well.” She walked into her bedroom, leaving me sitting miserably at the table. A few minutes later, she emerged fully dressed.
“You’re leaving?” I asked.
Livvie grabbed her purse. “Yes.”
“I’m so sorry, Livvie. I wish I could go back and make the right decision from the beginning.”
She paused in the doorway and gave me a long, sad look. “Me, too. I’ll see you later.”
And then, she left.
Even though she more than likely wanted me to go while she was out of the cottage, I didn’t. I wouldn’t leave unless she specifically ordered me out.
But then, hours later, it was dark outside, and she still wasn’t back. I worried, but nothing caused me to think she might actually be in real danger. At least, for a while.
When she’d been gone about four hours, all of a sudden, a primal need to protect my mate came over me. My teeth elongated into fangs, and even more than my mate, I felt like I needed to be protecting everyone I loved. Seconds later, my phone rang. I grunted through my fangs when I answered. “Yeah?”
Anthony’s voice sounded weird, and I soon realized it was because he was talking through his fangs as well. “I got a signal from Sammy. That red sky means danger.”
I ran to the bedroom window and threw open the shade and sure enough, the night sky had a red tinge to it like I’d never seen before.
“I can’t be sure, but I’ve got a bad feeling,” Anthony said.
“Leonard?” I asked.
“That’s what I think. And this time, I doubt he’s alone. Livvie is with Sammy.”
Hearing my mate’s name caused a visceral reaction. The hand not holding the phone twisted, extending into claws as I growled.
“Are you ready to fight?” Anthony asked.
“More than ready,” I growled. “I’m going to rip him apart.”